Chapter 21

Rules about priests.

2022 - This verse:

"4 He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself." [Lev 21:4 ESV].  This is in a section where the priests are being instructed.  Certain prohibitions as to their behavior are put into place.  This first section says that they are not to make themselves unclean, and it starts off with them not being around dead bodies except in very specific instances of very close relatives.  And then we get this verse 4.  What does the phrase "unclean as a husband" mean?  MSB includes the verse with the stuff about corpses.  I do note that the wife's death is not mentioned as an exception to the rule.  Isn't that interesting that it does not say he can be around his wife's corpse???  If we see this verse as about wives, it says he cannot be in the same room with his wife's corpse, but he can with his brother's corpse.  If that's what it is saying, why did it use "as a husband" instead of just saying "for his wife"?  It cannot mean they weren't to marry because Aaron was married.  Priesthood passed from father to son.  Otherwise, you'd quickly run out of Levites!  So it isn't about marriage.  It is about being a husband.  Does it mean no sex before performing the duties of priest?  For instance, if tomorrow is his day to sprinkle blood on the Altar of Burnt offerings, he needs to make sure he stays away form his wife the night before?  That seems a lot more likely.

2022 - Here is a verse that clearly says priests could marry:

"7 They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God." [Lev 21:7 ESV].  There are some restrictions, but priests could marry.

2022 - Vss 10,11 make it illegal for the high priest to tear his clothes, or to be around ANY dead body.  Even that of his parents.